On May 30, 2014, DU policy staff from both the Southern Regional Office and the Governmental Affairs Office, in conjunction with Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), hosted a conservation field tour for congressional staffers and others.

Ducks Unlimited members gathered in Washington, D.C., last week to honor Rep. John Dingell (MI), the longest-serving member of Congress. During his nearly 60 years in office, Dingell has been an avid champion of conservation.

Waterfowlers have long known that ducks like working rice lands and a recently release report shows just how important they really are as habitat. The report, authored by Ducks Unlimited scientists for The Rice Foundation, found that if we needed to replace current rice lands with natural wetlands to maintain habitat capacity it would cost more than $3.5 billion.

Representatives from Ducks Unlimited and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) took South Carolina congressional representatives through the Santee Delta to show them conservation efforts across the region. The tour was organized by Wetland America Trust board member and Annandale Plantation owner Dan Ray and state senator Chip Campsen.

This month, the Waterfowl Advocate spoke to Reps. John Garamendi (CA-3) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-1) about the bipartisan Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014 they introduced to help provide more water storage in the midst of California’s drought.

North American Wetlands Conservation Act co-sponsor Rep. Mike Thompson (CA) is a lifelong waterfowler, as well as a decoy carver. In March, he donated two canvasback decoys he carved in the early 1990s to the National Museum of American History, one of the 19 Smithsonian museums. He had used the decoys to hunt in the Klamath Basin and on the North Coast of California.

Great Lakes Day recently took place in Washington D.C., and Ducks Unlimited was well represented by staff and volunteers. The annual event, hosted by the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition, brings representatives from every Great Lakes state to lobby on behalf of the 30 million people who depend on the lakes for jobs, drinking water and their way of life.

USA Rice held their 2014 Government Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., the last week of February. Ducks Unlimited participated in several high-level meetings and held a joint luncheon with USA Rice.

Despite a recent series of storms in early March, California is still faced with a major water crisis thanks to three consecutive years of below-normal rainfall. Nearly 95 percent of the state is currently in drought conditions with 70 percent categorized as extreme or exceptional, while the Sierra snowpack, which acts as a natural water storage unit, is only at 33 percent of its normal conditions.

Momentum is building for the North Dakota Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks Amendment. That’s evident with the petition drive running ahead of schedule and the 40 North Dakota groups and businesses that have formally endorsed the measure so far. Ducks Unlimited has been a leader on the coordinating group.

Ducks Unlimited has some really talented staff when it comes to public policy, but there are only a few of them. That’s why in advocacy, as in everything else, DU depends on informed volunteers to take conservation’s message to state, local and even federal lawmakers.

After rains forestalled the Lower Colorado River Authority’s request to cut off in-flows to Matagorda Bay in October, a second victory for Texas water came in November 2013 when DU-supported ballot initiative Proposition 6 passed by a large voter margin.

For the January 2014 issue, the Waterfowl Advocate features two new DU regional Public Policy Directors: Carmen Miller in the Great Plains Region and Mark Smith in the Western Region. Both joined DU in late 2013.

DU Director of Public Policy Gildo Tori brought company to meet with members of Congress on the economic benefits of Great Lakes restoration. In cooperation with and hosted by the Healing Our Waters Coalition, Tori; Jim Nichols of Carry Manufacturing in Caro, Mich.; and Michigan State University master’s student Ryan Boyer met with six Michigan congressional offices in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 4.

Proposition 6, the Texas constitutional amendment on water funding supported by Ducks Unlimited, passed with more than 70 percent of the vote in the Nov. 5 statewide elections. Prop 6 will provide $2 billion in onetime funding for Texas Water Plan projects from the state's Rainy Day Fund.

Ducks Unlimited attended the 2013 FFA National Convention and Expo in Louisville, Ky., during the week of Halloween. The gathering was very large, with 55,000 people from all 50 states and territories pouring into the city to celebrate youth leadership.

Bill D’Alonzo has been a Ducks Unlimited volunteer for more than 20 years. He was the 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year, and is the new chairman of the DU Conservation Programs Committee (CPC). Watch the full interview on the DU YouTube Channel.

As part of the compromise to reopen the federal government, a conference committee of House and Senate lawmakers is attempting to reconcile each house’s passed budget by Dec. 13. A budget for Fiscal Year 2014 would ensure there won’t be another government funding crisis in the middle of January – but these negotiations also affect conservation work.

Ducks Unlimited is supporting Proposition 6, the Texas constitutional amendment overwhelmingly passed by the both the Texas House and Senate providing onetime water funding out of the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Ducks Unlimited’s Rice Stewardship Program (RSP) is designed to work with rice producers in southwest Louisiana to reduce input costs, thereby sustaining rice production on this landscape and providing critical waterfowl resources on these managed wetlands.

Johann Walker, DU director of conservation planning for the Great Plains Region (GPR), is the lead author of a research paper that introduces a new adaptive strategy for securing conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR).

Ducks Unlimited volunteer Jeff Gorr was a finalist in the Field & Stream 2013 Heroes of Conservation contest. Jeff is the chair of the Greenwing program in Sheboygan, Wis., and works to get more kids outdoors and involved in duck hunting.

The 66-acre Dusseau Tract of newly restored wetland and prairie grassland habitat was dedicated during a ceremony in mid-August. The tract is an incorporated part of the Erie State Game Area in Monroe County.

A diverse coalition of conservation and outdoors leaders, including Ducks Unlimited, has filed an initiated constitutional measure petition with the North Dakota secretary of state that would establish permanent funding for water and land conservation and parks development in the state.

Conservation partners Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Army Corps of Engineers took several members of Congress and their staffers on a tour of conservation sites in Arkansas during the August recess.

Every August, lawmakers escape the Washington, D.C., humidity to visit constituents at home. The month-long recess is an opportunity to schedule a meeting with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss important issues affecting sportsmen, waterfowl and other wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited, along with partners Wildlife Mississippi and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), hosted a Farm Bill Conservation Tour in May. The tour of a property in the Mississippi Delta highlighted the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant project sites.

Congress is notoriously unpopular; a 2013 poll found that Congress ranks lower than cockroaches and NFL replacement refs. With recent disappointments like the House failure to pass a 2013 Farm Bill, or last year’s Sportsmen’s Act calamity, it’s easy to feel frustrated.

Ducks Unlimited focuses its Living Lakes Initiative on conserving the shallow-lake habitats of Minnesota and Iowa. This high priority landscape got a big boost recently when both houses of the Iowa legislature approved $8.6 million for the Lake Restoration Fund.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act in early June 2013. Co-sponsored by Reps. Rob Wittman (VA) and Ron Kind (WI), the bipartisan bill will make duck stamps permanently available for purchase online. Physical stamps will still be mailed to buyers, but the online proof of purchase provides new convenience to sportsmen and women by immediately fulfilling the requirement of possessing a stamp to hunt waterfowl. After 45 days, the proof of purchase will expire and purchasers must have the traditional paper stamp to receive its full benefits.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell spoke at the 2013 Ducks Unlimited National Convention in Portland, Ore., last month on the importance of wetlands conservation and educating and involving our youth to ensure not only a strong future for waterfowl, but also a healthy planet.

Ducks Unlimited was founded in the nation's capital in 1937 and has been a voice for conservation ever since. In April, DU welcomed more than 550 supporters to celebrate our conservation policy work at the Capitol Hill dinner and auction. The event attracted more than 50 members of Congress and representatives of the Obama administration.

Sens. Barbara Boxer (CA) and David Vitter (LA) worked together as lead co-sponsors of the bipartisan bill to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Below is an excerpt of the video interview with Sen. Vitter on the bill. You can watch the full video at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

The majority of lands in the United States are privately owned, and this is especially true for Ducks Unlimited’s Southern Region, which encompasses 13 states from Florida to New Mexico and Virginia to Oklahoma. DU and our partners work closely with farmers, ranchers and other private landowners across the region to promote working lands and achieve our conservation mission.

Through the RESTORE Act, as much as $15-20 billion may be channeled to the Gulf Coast for a variety of economic and ecological restoration projects. Ducks Unlimited is engaging in stakeholder meetings, public hearings and partnership-building efforts to best represent the interests of waterfowl and coastal wetlands restoration through the planning process.

The Lower Colorado River Authority’s (LCRA) Board has reacted to significant political pressure from the lakes communities and the City of Austin and raised the level requirement of Lakes Buchanan and Travis. This change means that unless it rains (and forecasts are not good for that), there will not be water for rice in the LCRA system for another year. This will have a huge negative impact on ducks.

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council held its first public meeting in Mobile, Ala., in December to update residents on the progress of implementing a portion of the RESTORE Act. Southern Region Manager of Mitigation Programs Eric Held represented Ducks Unlimited at the meeting.

Specific committees in the Senate and House of Representatives are responsible for the initial approval of bills that will affect habitat, sportsmen and wildlife. Committee membership was confirmed in January 2013 as the 113th Congress convened.

The 112th Congress has as little as two weeks to close out business and pass legislation. If priorities remain unfinished by the end of December, legislators will have to start from scratch in January when the 113th Congress begins their two-year tenure.

Ducks Unlimited joined state legislators and other leaders on sportsmen’s issues at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s 9th annual National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Annual Sportsman-Legislator Summit in late November.

A newly signed agreement between the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is paving the way for the final phase of a 20-year restoration effort on the Napa Marsh.

Chris Cox is the executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). He spoke with Ducks Unlimited about the effect of the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S.3525) on hunters.

The votes were counted, the president was re-elected, Democrats kept control of the U.S. Senate and Republicans still run the House of Representatives. Though the status quo remains in many cases, the election did usher in some changes that will affect Ducks Unlimited and our public policy priorities.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham was honored by a coalition of conservation groups with the 2012 Conservation Excellence Award in September, honoring his role in protecting thousands of acres of critical wildlife habitat over the past two decades.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Ducks Unlimited in September to join the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies State Grants Program.

Ronny Graham has been a member of DU for more than 30 years, serving on various committees including the Conservation Programs Committee. He is also currently a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries commissioner. He spoke with Ducks Unlimited about the importance of the conservation programs in the Farm Bill.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Canada's Minister of the Environment Peter Kent signed an updated Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as a cooperative effort to protect the Great Lakes.

The Clean Water, Lands & Outdoor Heritage Amendment will not be on the November 6, 2012 ballot in North Dakota. The initiated measure would have dedicated a small portion of the state’s oil and gas taxes for conservation.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Charleston District, along with various state agencies and stakeholders, held an event in mid-August at Nemours Plantation to announce the recently issued Managed Tidal Impoundment General Permit. The result of a multi-year combined effort among state, federal and private entities along with the USACE, the general permit will speed the process of getting waterfowl-focused wetland enhancements accomplished through the Charleston District of the USACE.

Senators and congressmen will be holding townhalls and meeting with voters while they're home to take the pulse of their constituents. August recess provides you the best opportunities to talk to representatives one-on-one and tell them the issues most important to you.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Aug. 13, 2012 - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today a new strategic plan to manage the 22.8-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). Known as Alternative B-2, the new guidelines protect 11.8 million acres - roughly half of the reserve - as critical habitat area, while allowing oil and gas development on the remaining half. Salazar made the announcement this morning in Anchorage, Alaska, hailing the plan as the most responsible and equitable approach to managing the reserve.

A proposed geothermal energy project on California's Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was the topic of the day when Western Region Public Policy Director Chris Unkel and a team of energy experts met recently with key allies who have been promoting the project.

In an attempt to put off farm bill consideration until the next Congress convenes, the House Republican leadership prepared a one-year extension of farm bill programs, but failed to include continued authorization for key conservation provisions such as the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

Appropriations budget planning for several key conservation programs may be put on hold soon as Congress works on finalizing a six-month extension (also known as a continuing resolution, or CR) after they reconvene in September.

Senior DU board leaders were in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with top figures in the U.S. House of Representatives to support pending legislation that would reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) through 2017.

WASHINGTON - July 25, 2012 - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously reported to the Senate floor today three bills important to conservation and of priority interest to Ducks Unlimited: S. 2282, reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) through 2017; S. 2156, increasing the price of the federal duck stamp; and S. 2071, making online purchase of duck stamps a permanent option. The bills were reported without objection to the full Senate for consideration.

On July 11, the House Agriculture Committee marked up their 2012 Farm Bill using as the foundation the bill language that was agreed to by Committee Chairman Lucas (OK) and Ranking Democrat Peterson (MN). Among the countless amendments that were offered was one introduced by Reps. Tim Walz (MN), Kristi Noem (SD) and Jeff Fortenberry (NE).

Hot on the heels of President Obama's signing the Transportation Package and passing the precedent-setting RESTORE Act, Ducks Unlimited officials joined U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA) for a coastal parish tour to celebrate the promise RESTORE Act funding holds for coastal restoration.

While Ducks Unlimited and its partners celebrate congressional passage of the RESTORE Act this week as part of the transportation bill, another key conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), did not fare as well.

In his first week as the new director of DU's Governmental Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., Gary Taylor has already been busy tackling some of the country's biggest waterfowl-related public policy issues, including the 2012 Farm Bill and future funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).

Ducks Unlimited Inc. and Ducks Unlimited Canada recently submitted a joint letter to the International Joint Commission, expressing support for what is known as "Plan 2014," a water-level-management plan designed to more closely replicate natural hydrology on the St. Lawrence River and in Lake Ontario.

On July 2-6, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be on recess. Many elected officials will be returning to their home states and districts to meet with their constituents and discuss current events and issues important to them.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) has invited Ducks Unlimited to their June 19 Water Operations Committee meeting in Austin, Texas. The LCRA denied water for rice agriculture uses in the Texas Mid-Coast this year, essentially eliminating 60,000 acres of important habitat for wintering waterfowl in one of DU’s highest-priority conservation regions.

WASHINGTON - June 8, 2012 - Ducks Unlimited appreciates the recent introduction to the Senate of a package of bills on behalf of sportsmen and women. The Sportsmen's Act of 2012 was offered by Sens. Jon Tester (Montana) and John Thune (South Dakota), proposing improved public access, sustainable habitat for fish and wildlife and increased funding for natural resource conservation. The collection of bills is being presented as an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill.

The Senate Tourism and Wildlife Committee voted May 15 to confirm longtime Wildlife Commissioner John D. Groendyke of Enid, Okla., to serve a sixth term as a member of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - June 1, 2012 - Yesterday at the 75th Anniversary Ducks Unlimited National Convention, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed the 2012 Revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), reaffirming the country's commitment to one of the largest and most successful continent-wide conservation initiatives ever undertaken.

On May 22, the Louisiana legislature unanimously approved the updated, $50 billion, 50-year Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, aimed at stopping coastal land loss in Louisiana, the last step in an approval process that began in January.

Ducks Unlimited's South Carolina Public Policy Chair Bill Short, along with State Chairman Andy Stevenson and State Chairman Elect John Leaphart, had an excellent meeting recently with U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC).

On Thursday, May 31, beginning at 10:30 a.m., Ducks Unlimited will welcome Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to its 75th National Convention in Nashville for two important events - a signing ceremony for the 2012 revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) and a Town Hall meeting to discuss conservation in the current economic climate.

Efforts by Ducks Unlimited and allies are underway to support provisions added to the federal highway bill that would provide significant benefits for waterfowl. One provision of the bill - commonly known as the RESTORE Act - calls for 80 percent of the fines paid by those responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to be committed to restoring the area most affected - the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Ducks Unlimited submitted testimony recently in support of S. 2282, the Senate bill to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) through 2017, as part of a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

In a letter submitted this week, hunting and fishing and conservation groups urged House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK) and ranking member Collin Peterson (MN) to adopt the Farm Bill's Sodsaver provision to promote "responsible stewardship of agricultural land and direct program benefits to acreage that is most suited for crop production."

California Ducks Unlimited volunteer Dennis Campini was recently presented a national award for his commitment to conservation by U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (CA). The North American Migratory Bird Joint Ventures Conservation Champion Award was given to Campini in early April at a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert had high praise for Ducks Unlimited on May 2 as he signed a state resolution honoring DU for its 75th anniversary. Herbert applauded the organization for the milestone achievement and for its on-the-ground conservation work in Utah and throughout North America.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) was the focus of an early-morning briefing held in Washington this week. Ducks Unlimited and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation hosted the breakfast briefing to highlight the history and impact of NAWCA and the need for its reauthorization and correct appropriations.

A recent report by the Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team addressed 10 fundamental questions about saving the Mississippi River Delta, including how to reverse coastal marsh loss, what impacts could result from restoration efforts and the economic blow to Louisiana and the nation if this important coastal ecosystem is lost.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) met last week and approved more than $24.5 million in federal grants under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for partnership-based conservation projects that will protect, restore and enhance more than 146,000 acres of wetlands and associated habitats across the United States and Mexico.

As part of Ducks Unlimited's 75th anniversary celebrations, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal invited a group of DU staff and volunteers to the capitol to receive a formal proclamation recognizing the importance of DU's work in Georgia.

WASHINGTON - March 5, 2012 - It's been nearly two years since the nation witnessed the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In that time, Congress still has not passed legislation to direct oil spill penalty funds to the Gulf Coast and its multi-billion-dollar natural-resources-based economy.

WASHINGTON - March 2, 2012 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited announced today they will work with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to focus resources on wildlife habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern plains, breeding grounds for a majority of the continent's ducks.

Things got a little wild at the Georgia capitol during the 10th annual Sportsmen's and Coastal Day at the Capitol on Feb. 8. Sportsmen's and coastal conservation groups from around the state gathered for a chance to meet with and thank legislators who have supported hunting, fishing and conservation issues, and to educate lawmakers about the contributions outdoor recreation makes to Georgia's economy and culture.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has issued a draft of Louisiana's 2012 Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. After public input, the final plan will go to the legislature March 26 for approval.

Members of Ducks Unlimited's Conservation Programs Committee met in Washington, D.C., last week and arranged meetings with 67 congressional offices to discuss reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and other DU priorities. Many meetings included members of Congress; others were with key congressional staff.

Gov. Terry Branstad recognized Ducks Unlimited for its 75th anniversary by signing a proclamation at DU's Iowa state convention on Feb. 11. In his proclamation, Gov. Branstad commended DU for its conservation success.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Please join us at a briefing event next week to learn about ongoing conservation efforts and Congress's role in them, and have your questions answered by experts from the Gulf Coast region.

The president released his FY13 budget request on Monday with recommendations for funding levels of all federal programs. This request now goes to the Congress for consideration as they develop their FY13 budgets, which are scheduled to be released in late March.

Members of Ducks Unlimited's Conservation Programs Committee (CPC) and DU staff led a charge up Capitol Hill this week to meet with members of Congress and their staff about topics of concern to DU's conservation mission.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, Ducks Unlimited signed on to a national letter produced by the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition opposing a shift in funds from the LWCF to highways and other national infrastructure.

Attendees of the 2012 Ducks Unlimited Wisconsin State Convention in Green Bay last week were pleased to welcome Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin's 8th district as he joined them for lunch. Ribble accepted the invitation sent to all members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation to attend this year's event marking the 75th anniversary of DU.

At the end of 2011, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources designated two new lakes for wildlife management. Teal Lake in Jackson County and Bolstad Slough in Cottonwood County are the 46th and 47th lakes of this type in the state. Ducks Unlimited has partnered with the DNR to complete conservation work on both lakes.

While Ducks Unlimited looks forward to its 75th anniversary later this month, another organization with 75 years of conservation success is facing some major structural changes that could negatively influence its effectiveness: the Missouri Conservation Commission.

Since 1992, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has been contributing to waterfowl conservation on the Canadian prairies. Ducks Unlimited is committed to conserving North American waterfowl habitat, regardless of the flyway or country, and TWRA's partnership with DU emphasizes how important Canadian waterfowl production is to the Tennessee hunter.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which has been working since August to develop budget recommendations that will reduce our nation's deficit, has officially announced they will be unable to reach an agreement by the November 23 deadline.

Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho got a firsthand look last week at how a partnership of private and federal funding benefits wetlands conservation during a guided tour of the Chester Wetlands Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near St. Anthony, Idaho.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has released his final 50-State America's Great Outdoors Report, which highlights the Dakota Grassland Conservation Area as one of the country's 100 most promising outdoor projects.

DU is proud to celebrate its partnership with the MDC, which has led to the restoration of 235,059 acres of prime breeding habitat and the positive influence of an additional 1.2 million acres on the Canadian prairies.

Representatives of Ducks Unlimited and several partner organizations gathered today at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area to celebrate the completion of a $1.2 million coastal restoration project in southeast Louisiana and to dedicate it to Ron and Jackie Bartels of Schriever.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Joseph Hautman of Plymouth, Minnesota, as the winner of the 2011 Federal Duck Stamp Contest. This marks the fourth time he has won the Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

Senator Jon Tester of Montana, Senate co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, offered an amendment to restore the popular Open Fields initiative and foster public hunting access on private land. Sen. Tester introduced this amendment after the initiative failed to receive funding in a recent Senate appropriations bill.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar visited both Capitol Hill and the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida last week to celebrate the establishment of four new conservation areas and wildlife refuges.

Ducks Unlimited voiced its support of legislation that would make the federal duck stamp more readily available to the general public during testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs.

During this year's Great Lakes Week in Detroit, Michigan, a variety of governments, agencies and organizations came together to work on the continued improvement of the Great Lakes region. Ducks Unlimited was well represented at the conference.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations recently announced its fiscal year 2012 funding recommendations for the U.S. Department of the Interior. The committee has recommended a $35.5 million funding level for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

After years of urging top national policymakers to prioritize restoring the U.S. Gulf Coast, Ducks Unlimited is pleased to see the effort to use Clean Water Act penalties paid by the parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is gaining momentum in Congress.

During an October 6 meeting with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Commissioner Mike Connor and other senior staff, Ducks Unlimited Director of Public Policy Barton James commended the agency for recent actions that will help the National Wildlife Refuge System maintain critical wetland habitat.

Ducks Unlimited's Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office will participate in Great Lakes Week to discuss the conservation issues and challenges the region is facing. This year's event will take place in Detroit, Michigan, where representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments meet with a broad coalition of public and private groups to discuss efforts to implement solutions for the lakes' most pressing problems.

In honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Ducks Unlimited recently joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge to celebrate the important role federal refuges play in conserving wildlife and expanding hunting access.

Last week, Ducks Unlimited Director of Public Policy Barton James testified in support of a Minnesota project that aims to enhance 5,000 acres of habitat and expand sportsmen's access. After DU highlighted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Review Board the positive impact that enhancing Marsh Lake will have on waterfowl populations, sportsmen and the local economy, the project was approved and will now advance to the next stage of the review process.

For decades, Ducks Unlimited has been working with federal agencies to restore and conserve prime waterfowl habitat in coastal areas that border the country. However, budget reductions are currently threatening to reduce and possibly eliminate many of the programs that help conserve our nation's coastal areas, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) coastal habitat and restoration programs.

Since the Gulf Coast oil spill occurred in 2010, Ducks Unlimited has been urging Congress to support legislation that ensures penalties paid by the parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under the Clean Water Act are directed back to the Gulf Coast region.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission of the USFWS recently awarded 21 grants to conservation projects that will help conserve vital waterfowl habitat across the nation. The grants are being awarded through NAWCA, a cost-effective, bipartisan, match-based program that raises an average of 3.2 non-federal dollars for every federal dollar invested.

In an effort to educate members of Congress on the complex issues surrounding our oceans, the caucus plans to host a variety of briefings and lectures regarding the latest in ocean research and policy.

Congressman John Garamendi of California knows a great deal more about the mission of Ducks Unlimited now, after recently sitting down for a working lunch with Western Regional Office Director Mark Biddlecomb and WRO Public Policy Director Chris Unkel.

DU strongly supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to formally establish the Dakota Grassland Conservation Area. However, if this jewel for America's wildlife is to be protected, sportsmen will need to tell Congress of its significance.

During a recent hearing, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to cut farm conservation programs by $726 million for the 2012 fiscal year, which represents a 12 percent reduction from the FY 2011 funding level. Funding reductions of this magnitude will greatly inhibit our nation's ability to preserve native grasslands and other prime waterfowl habitat.

A recent survey reveals that America's hunting heritage continues to be passed down by sportsmen to children across the country. The data shows that a large portion of the outdoor community has taken time to introduce a child to hunting and fishing.

Congress returns from its month-long recess to resume work on a variety of issues, including finalizing the fiscal year 2012 budget. What does this mean for the future funding of conservation programs?

Ducks Unlimited earned high praise from Congresswoman Doris Matsui of California recently, when she saluted Ducks Unlimited for its role as a founding partner in funding the Powerhouse Science Center in Sacramento, Calif.

On August 15, DU Director of Conservation Programs Ray Whittemore and past DU Vermont State Chairman Dennis Havey attended a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

Ducks Unlimited recently held its Conservation Programs Committee meeting in Bloomington, Minn., to discuss DU's conservation projects and initiatives. As a portion of the meeting, DU invited CPC members, along with members of the Minnesota congressional delegation and their staff, to attend breakfast meetings last Friday.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Strategic Vision Committee recently confirmed the appointment of DU's Director of the Western Regional Office Mark Biddlecomb to its Stakeholders Advisory Group.

California Waterfowl Association President John Carlson and others stopped by the Ducks Unlimited Governmental Affairs Office on August 8 to discuss the latest public policy work regarding budget cuts affecting key waterfowl conservation programs.

Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Director Becky Humphries joined U.S Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe and Congressman John Dingell recently to announce the acquisition of 28-acres for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

While the goal of the bill is to strengthen national security, experts testified it could have much broader implications on the ability to manage federal lands for wildlife and for water quality due to legislative provisions that would affect the ability of the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry out environmental laws and policies.

With the start of FY 2012 fiscal year less than three months away, Congress is ramping up efforts to pass a budget. The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee considered legislation last week that includes serious budget cuts to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

In the face of the U.S. House of Representatives threatening to eliminate funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Ducks Unlimited members responded by telling Congress about NAWCA’s positive impacts on conservation and America’s economy. Your actions helped partially restore NAWCA funding in the current year to $37.5 million.

Ducks Unlimited applauds the U.S. Senate's June 30 vote to confirm Daniel Ashe as the 16th Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ashe, a career employee of the agency, will assume his duties immediately.

On July 7, the U.S. House of Representatives Interior, Environment and Related Agencies subcommittee on appropriations is scheduled to vote on the future of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, a cost-effective, match-based conservation grant that raises an average of 3.2 non-federal dollars for every federal dollar invested. After being threatened with total elimination during the FY 2011 House budget negotiations, NAWCA is once again on the chopping block. However, NAWCA supporters across the nation are contacting their members of Congress to urge them to continue funding for the program.

While this year’s Michigan Ducks Unlimited State Convention in Muskegon provided an array of workshops, forums and events, one of the weekend’s highlights occurred when U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow addressed a crowd of 200 with some of the ideas, plans and challenges surrounding the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill. Sen. Stabenow is the Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which impacts many significant conservation programs of interest to DU. Michigan DU members gather annually to celebrate conservation successes and to plan for the coming year.

Sportsmen have been calling for coastal marshlands and wetlands to be restored since last year's oil spill, and to pay for the restoration efforts properly funded by ensuring penalties paid by BP under the Clean Water Act be directed back to the Gulf Coast region. However, these calls so far have gone unanswered.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White recently announced that Ducks Unlimited received funding through the USDA's Conservation Innovation Grants for a large scale project in the Prairie Potholes Region of North Dakota and South Dakota that will initially help conserve 5,000 acres of ranchland in both states.

In order to celebrate DU's 100,000th acre conserved in Wisconsin, supporters of wetland conservation recently gathered at the 600-acre Meadow Valley Flowage wetland enhancement project in Juneau County

Rep. Steve King (IA) praised both Ducks Unlimited and NAWCA for the pivotal role this partnership plays in conserving precious waterfowl habitat. The praise came after last week's announcement that DU received a $1 million NAWCA grant for conservation projects in Iowa.

In April, the Administration initiated steps to restore Clean Water Act protections to many wetlands and other waterways. While sportsmen across the country support efforts to establish Clean Water Act guidance that will clarify how to sustain wetlands and conserve the prairie potholes, the nation's most important breeding habitat, recent actions in the U.S. House of Representatives are threatening to stop this important effort.

SUPPORT THE DUCKS: Reach out to your members of Congress during recess; Make Your Voice Heard! Take Action Today!; DU lauds federal legislation to protect North Fork Habitat in Montana; 2011 National Wetlands Award Winners Announced

One year later: DU joins NWF to update sportsmen on Gulf spill restoration efforts, Teleconference set for April 20 at 8 p.m. EDT; DU and SCI victorious in effort to protect hunting on public lands, court rules waterfowl hunting can proceed on national wildlife refuges

Waterfowl Need Your Help! DU members urge Congress to support NAWCA funding; Ducks Unlimited hails the importance of NAWCA during press conference call; DU urges the continued funding of key conservation programs in written testimony to House Committee on Appropriations

Congress returns from recess to address FY2011 budget issues; DU Western Region staff discuss impact of water shortages with with Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner; Nebraska Senator Addresses Ducks Unlimited state convention

DU supports strengthening hunting tradition with additional funding for Open Fields; DU volunteers, staff attend South Carolina Sportsmen's Caucus luncheon; DU thanks state of Louisiana for $2 million support of marsh restoration project; USDA to hold general CRP sign-up for second consecutive year; DU uses Farm Bill easement program to protect critical rice land habitat in California; DU and partners ask state of California, DOI to consider wetlands, waterfowl during water crisis

Former DU director of conservation programs named new director of MN DNR; Assistant Secretary of the Interior, active player in national conservation programs, to step down; DU weighs in to support hunting on Forest Service lands

Top public policy stories for Nov. 23, 2010 - DU applauds selection of Stabenow as chair of Senate Agriculture Committee, NRCS announces record enrollment in Wetlands Reserve Program, DU continues work on sustained funding for land conservation

Another Minnesota lake benefits from DU enhancement; Members of Congress on hand as DU receives grant to restore Great Lakes; NAWCA enables DU, Nebraska landowners to team up for critical habitat conservation

What duck hunters stand to gain - or lose - from clean water; "Protect native prairies," say Congressional agriculture leaders; DU volunteers are speaking out for conservation - you can, too!; From the Capitol steps to your town hall steps - Congress is home for summer

Be an advocate for clean water in your hometown; Waterfowl havens enhanced by North American Wetlands Conservation Act; Western wetlands saved; Leaders of congressional sportsmen renew call for conservation; House unanimously endorses conservation bill

Each year Congress makes important decisions about wildlife habitat conservation programs that directly impact the long-term health of waterfowl populations.
DU's office in Washington, D.C., exists to promote these programs and other wildlife-friendly legislation.

*Note: If you have a member login from the previous website, you may enter it here to access your My DU account. Visit our FAQ page for more details.

Choose Your Content

Welcome to your personalized My DU homepage! In addition to the exclusive web benefits for members, you can now personalize your own DU web page with the content that you care about the most. Select your favorite hunting, conservation and local information and you’ll see an instant summary each time your return to the page.

New features will be introduced to My DU in the coming weeks and months – so check back often.